U.S. President Donald Trump said he would be willing to issue preemptive pardons to aides and allies if Democrats take control of Congress and move ahead with threats to prosecute members of his administration. He made the comments in an interview with Miranda Devine of the New York Post on the podcast Pod Force One.
Trump says he would do it if needed
Asked whether he would take that step if necessary, Trump said he would. When pressed on whether that would extend to everyone who had worked for him, he repeated that he would, citing his Jan. 6 pardons and saying, “I’d do it.”
The report said Trump pardoned about 1,500 defendants tied to the Jan. 6 Capitol cases on the first day of his return to office in 2025.
He pointed to Biden’s final-hour pardons as precedent
In the interview, Trump referenced former President Joe Biden’s final hours in office, when Biden, according to the report, issued preemptive pardons to Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley, members and staff of the House Jan. 6 committee, and some relatives, including Hunter Biden. Trump framed that as a comparison for protecting his own executive team.
He argued that Biden had brought nearly everyone connected to those matters under the pardon umbrella, and said the same logic should apply to aides and allies in his own administration.
Democrats have talked about accountability efforts
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin said at a University of Chicago event last month that if Democrats hold a majority, they should bring “signature cases” against “the people who helped Trump,” with the aim of discouraging young conservatives from joining a Trump administration. Hidden-camera footage cited from Townhall also recorded her saying committees would begin accountability efforts in January.
If Democrats flip the House, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin is seen as a possible chair of the Judiciary Committee and has pledged to investigate what he called “systemic corruption” in the government. The report also said Robert Reich had called for laying the groundwork to nationalize SpaceX, while some voices had also named DOGE staff.
Trump says talk of arresting Musk is unlikely, but protection may still be needed
On claims about arresting Elon Musk and others, Trump said he does not think that will happen and described it as mostly talk. Even so, he said people connected to his administration should be protected even if the threats are only rhetorical.
Federal pardons have limits as election result nears
The report noted that presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes and do not block state prosecutions, civil lawsuits, or impeachment. When asked whether he himself could also be a target for Democrats, Trump appeared less certain.
Polling has suggested Democrats could retake the House. Trump, for his part, criticized the polls as fake and pointed instead to the size of his campaign crowds, saying the result will be known Tuesday night. For technology and crypto companies, as well as advisers with close ties to the White House, a change in House control could widen the scope of investigations beyond administration staff. Whether preemptive pardons can serve as a firewall may be tested soon after the vote.
